3 Comments
User's avatar
Jason D'Orazio's avatar

Literally hours after the wire, "POE" by Adam Ant played on my Spotify and it would have been great to include. Like "USSA", "POE" is tongue-in-cheek. But while the post-Glasnost "USSA" spoke of an alliance, the pre-Glasnost "POE" has a warlike tone, threatening Khrushchev with bombs. Though I advise Texans to avoid the outro - Adam Ant should not do accents, lol.

Expand full comment
Jeff Sepeta's avatar

NICE recap.

You may have overlooked Re-Flex - the Politics of Dancing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9WQGJ5sYvc

Der Komissar was performed both by Falco and After the Fire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBfFDTPPlaM

Not exactly New Wave, but Sting also had the song Russians.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHylQRVN2Qs

Expand full comment
Jason D'Orazio's avatar

Thank you! Ah - while I'm familiar with the melody to Politics of Dancing, I need to check out the lyrics better. On the surface Der Komissar is about drug running, but I've also read of Cold War overtones. "Russians" is a beautiful song; I wanted to include it but right, solo Sting is not quite New Wave. "Camouflage" by Wall of Voodoo frontman Stan Ridgway is similar. One of the few songs I know about the heroics of the Vietnam War, but solo Stan is more Western than New Wave.

Expand full comment